The poor entrepreneurial environment forced to "go West": A Taiwanese code farmer's mind Course

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What is the IT environment in Taiwan, we rarely pay attention to it. The writer, Superbcde, is a Taiwanese programmer who does not have a prominent educational background, starting with the IT training school, and moving towards his goals in a step-by-step way. He warns young people: take advantage of the young to learn, determined that they do not know what to learn, it is best to go to Silicon Valley, because IT is the paradise of IT people, and revealed that Taiwan's entrepreneurial environment is poor. This article originally from the PTT forum, indide done two times, the original title: Software People's mind sharing, Tech2ipo slightly modified and commented, the picture and the protagonist has nothing to do.

I'm a halfway-like information technician in the mainland, I don't have a deep background, I'm not a regular undergraduate or a college, I'm just a specialist, a second-degree/HKUST Diploma, and even a decent National institute after graduating from college. Taiwan University, Tsinghua University in Hsinchu, Jiaotong University, successful university, editorial note No one I dare to vote, finally have to serve the "country" two years, and also the way to the outer islands to study.

Starting with the Giants.

Yes, you are right, when you graduate from college and have nothing, young people are very good at cheating. I remember very clearly, at that time Giants (Giants are Taiwan's largest IT training school, Taiwan Masters Computer subsidiary, editor note) has the so-called SCJP/MCSE. Anyway, the graduation, no work and just discharged, received such a kind of education ads, and free, of course, went.

Have to go with the Masters of the lecturer, I forget the details, anyway, I heard that day after the course, just feel a blood. Think there is a person also if, the whole topic and technology, lecturer a pile of quotations, anyway simple: "Get the certification you will be issued, million annual salary waiting for you." "At that time to go home, just with parents want more than 50,000 yuan, run the Masters platinum, bought a class roll, and then began my MCSE + SCJP course." As for the results, I think we have a few minds. I don't blame that lecturer, I turned out to be a good friend with a lot of lecturers in the Masters. An hour of instructions will not get how much money, if he is not gliding, I look after no one invited, they are just hang mouth food. Of course, it's a few years before we know.

In fact, the Giants have helped me a lot, but the biggest problem is that you sign up, the newspaper is a course, as for who taught you, you never know. Great masters have many good teachers, for example, Cao Zu-Saint teacher. He spoke a lot of Technet, and I've heard his secondary class. Unfortunately, because of instructor scheduling or cost savings, in fact, a 200-hour course, very likely only 1/7 are good teachers, the rest is very common, or even bad. I also met a poor teacher, the computer class as an English class on the (English), have been certified in the course to know what I am talking about (the original textbook!).

At that time I was very young, before class must preview. Do not understand the words have been checked out, the class just want to absorb desperately. When you meet a bad teacher, that frustration is really hard to describe. I and the class teacher responded several times, each time is to get "Oh ~ I will communicate with the teacher" this kind of response. Don't make it okay, not teach is not teach, bad teacher is rotten, he will not change because of a sentence. Even if he wants to change the time, not immediately.

It seems a little off the mark, all in all, sorry for my parents. No money at home, obstinately bidding borrowed 50,000 to give me class, finally I gave up. Until today, I still feel very owed to parents this kindness. In short, the first thing I want to share is. Whether you go to the Giants, go to UUU or go to III, the most important thing is to talk to the lecturer. If the instructor of a course is not determined beforehand (or the lecturer is not good), it is better not to go on, really good teacher let you go to heaven, Bad Teacher on ....

In fact, write programs such things if there is enthusiasm, willing to read, more or less, or fast or slow will progress. My second suggestion is, do not give up study, on their own although slow, but solid. In other words, many of the instruments are bad, and this cannot be blamed on the author. After many years I published a Book of My own (which is very bad), but the author's fee is actually not high. A brush 1500, write a book If spend six months earnest write, 1500 sold 1000, then a price of 500 (NT, about 107 yuan, edit note), may not even enough for the meal. As for the higher fee is the kind of "master", such as Houtie teacher (Taiwan famous C + + technical experts, editor note) level can get the price. Perhaps you can try to call the publishing house to ask, you know. Want to sell two brushes? Then you probably have to go to the top list.

I had evaluated some options and tried a lot, but not so well. I tried to run the company and then I poured it out (not paying much, as Bai). Easy to write programs, difficult to find customers. It was silly to think that ERP was needed everywhere. To 104 access to the case network (Taiwan outsourcing site, editorial note) to find a case, later found that the desperate did not actually have money, but also to deal with customers.

Also tried the manpower dispatch, the salary is good, one months may have 60,000. However, I am sorry, no retirement years, the case is over and off, short-term work (half a year) can. But then think about, you think you earn, in fact, you just do not lose, the company just to your future pension pay you first. Of course, not bad, many people are more miserable middle-aged, even the pension is gone.

I feel my conscience, more than 20-year-old my greatest asset is the young heart. It took two or three years to save a bucket of gold (1 million), which is two jobs (or even three), and the benefit of it people is that it's easy to work part-time. In addition to a straight rise in weight, and then lack of exercise, and then one day to go to the hospital. Therefore, finally reported a Master of Science and Engineering, graduated after a rice bowl, anyway, the day has passed. In fact, the Iron Bowl of the day is quite good, although the money is not much, in oil, Taiwan Power, China Telecom, a class, I think the company fell to not. Although not a civil servant's steel job, but in fact not too mixed, punctual commute or go.

Determined to go out of Taiwan

I ask myself, there are some advantages:

Young, then willing to fight (at that time 26~27岁);

But I was in fact very confused about the future, until one day, a foreign manager (I heard that a monthly salary of 400,000), is a Hong Kong people, just and I in a government case to co-operate. I often think, why he can lead 400,000, he is very good, but not me 10 times times bad? I also want to get 400,000, who don't want to ...

In short, looking back, the following is my conclusion (offensive please forgive me):

Taiwan is not "software" industry, these years better, there are maps diary, Appworks class of software (or venture), at most, there are trendmicro, or some of the main case of IT companies. The biggest demand for it is probably in the financial sector, which requires information personnel. The biggest demand probably is one kind of website, this kind of market competition is very intense, then does not have the art cooperation to be difficult to survive, even if is a website shopping cart class, also only solo, is very difficult to be long.

Want to get 400,000, really impossible, foreign businessmen may have the opportunity. If there is a 400,000 of the work, it is also a choice, not my halfway of the masters of the business. There's only one way left:

To Silicon Valley.

My father is not a higher education, but he often said to me: "Do not eat seafood in the mountains, to the seaside to eat delicacies." "He tried to persuade me to be a part of it, but I read it wrong," he said. "I'll go to the mountains to eat the mountain. "Similarly, to go to the financial industry to Wall Street." Why? Because the market is the supply and demand determines the price. There is so little demand in Taiwan that IT companies cannot offer high prices. The supply is not enough (it talent), the price rises naturally. In fact, Silicon Valley has been missing it talent for years now. I know many elite schools, English good, good strength can go straight to Silicon Valley, but I am not. I know what I am, not a 56, my English is impossible to pass the interview.

So I put myself down, I put my work down, I practiced from the beginning. Over the past six years: I have practiced English, my experience is:

Without money, I went to the department as a teaching assistant, and when I started teaching the TA, I looked around for help writing the program. (Believe me, it's easy to find). Prices in the United States, school research assistants one months is not much, probably all can only eat toast or microwave food.

Start from the beginning, the CS (Computer Science Computer Sciences) University Department of the course of their own need to repair or audit, and then read a master's, and then read a CS PhD. Education also made up, no way into the stanford/mit, at least read a call out of the PhD.

Every summer vacation to intern to make money.

Simply speaking, recognize what you lack and make up for it. Lack of English to supplement English, lack of academic qualifications, etc. It turned out that these jobs helped me a lot. When the teaching assistant practiced the English language for free, my mouth said it was progressing rapidly. On the case or when the research assistant wrote the program, forcing me to learn the whole Linux and a lot of open source project (Academia has no money, all are open source) and then read PhD let me go to the world to participate in Conference, know the field of the big coffee. Believe me, when you see the Internet in person, Python ... And so the inventor, you will find them very humble. Then there is no money to intern (so afraid of the other party do not want me), so hard to fight. Finally made a bunch of friends, not yet graduated from the job to find, and then accumulated a pile of Project experience.

Choose an environment or adapt to the environment

Of course, this is only a case, but the first job at graduation, my annual salary with guaranteed bonuses, 1/3 is a bonus, 2/3 is the current salary. Of course, the first year because there are sign up bonus (signing bonus), but as long as efforts, I think the salary is not much worse than the first year. I do not want to discuss the issue of multiple taxes and living expenses. But pay duty to save a little, one year can save 8~10 million. If you buy your own house, you can save more rent (but pay a mortgage). With a single house with 3 bedrooms and 2 guards, the better area (not the top tier of Palo Alto) is about 80~100.

In other words, if it goes well, it will be repaid in less than 10 years. And I believe that as long as we are willing to fight, the salary will only be higher, not lower. Also have heard Dr. CS graduated more than 300,000 of (of course, just heard). 1/3 of the teaching post, 1/3 to study units, the rest of the industry samples are not many. But I think the whole package of more than 200,000 is very basic (with the material PhD). Then work roughly eight hours a day, rarely requiring overtime, not on-call. Of course, I decided to stay in the company to study or the Internet to blow air conditioning can not be counted overtime, I am talking about the real job.

P.S. Interested in these salaries can refer to this article "North America 2011 major companies Visa payroll records." Have a master to share, this is last year Visa information (foreigners apply for a work visa in the United States)

The above data only "basic salary", the other is holding stock + a variety of bonus. Engineers may have to add 20~30%, especially in the first year. Now rob people rob very fierce, just graduated may be opened 4~5 million above sign up bonus, and even the mainland circle in the biography of Facebook up to 100,000 sing up bonus. For higher-order jobs, the basic salary may account for less than 1/3, as these jobs will be tied to performance and tied up a lot.

This is not to criticize Taiwan's low pay. Every place has his supply and demand. If you want to work in the IT industry, then your thoughts are fresh. I really suggest "go out". I also want to go back to Taiwan, Taiwan Yahoo Headhunters have to find me. After considering the price, I opened 100,000 dollars (the whole package) when the condition, the other interview is not an interview. Of course it's not really 100,000 dollars, but it's a lot of supply (it engineers) in Taiwan and I don't want to spend NT $3 million for one. For them, 3 million can please 12~13 a 22k.

If you can afford it, today you are sick to surgery, a top doctor asking for 300,000, or you could ask 10 30,000 of ordinary doctors to consult, you will choose that? Experience this kind of thing is not 10 people to win one, but if it is to write the page, I believe that 10 people may have the opportunity to write to win an expert. But the site hang, do not move is not move, find 10 people debug not necessarily faster. The value of experience and capacity is not simply a substitute for labor, especially for a job or project that requires a higher level of skill and experience. For the future, I still have some ideas, but looking back, I am glad that I had to put down my figure and income, and then learn from the beginning.

I'm not going to ask what I would do now if I had stayed. But I know one thing that people want to watch for the next 10 years and then the next 10 years. One day, you and I will be old, will be 35, will be 45, will be 55. 55-Year-old Man learning technology is to learn not to win 25 years old, really. You have to accumulate experiences that 25-year-old people cannot easily replicate.

For example, if you want to read a PhD, read it before you are 35 years old, and it will be difficult to read after the age of 35. If you want to start a business, make it before you are 35 years old, because you can easily get up again if you fail. I see a lot of young people who are better than me, wasting their 25~35 and wasting their young capital. In fact, it career has unlimited possibilities, Dropbox founder of the 24-Year-old founder of the company, Google and the creation of Facebook, those who are only a few years old? (P.S is not entrepreneurial will succeed, please do not misunderstand)

Summary：

I really want to encourage those young friends, if you really want to change, ethically do it! I just want to earn 400,000 NT $ one a month, now I imagine one months can make 4 million. In fact, the secret tactic is very simple, find a earn so many people, and then compare you and his differences, and then give yourself ten years to catch up, and then do not give up.

This article is written to young people and to myself, hoping to come back in ten years and write again:)

Come on, everybody!